Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first put into operation on March 4, 1789. The process of amending the Constitution is detailed in Article Five of the Constitution and requires amendments to be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. Since then, there have been many more amendments proposed and ratified, with approximately 11,848 proposals introduced in Congress as of January 3, 2019.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Amendments Proposed by the US Congress | 33 |
| Number of Amendments Ratified | 27 |
| Number of Amendments Proposed and Ratified Simultaneously | 10 |
| Number of Amendments Proposed by the First Congress of the US | 12 |
| Number of Proposals to Amend the Constitution Introduced in Congress since 1789 | ~11,848 |
| Process for Amending the Constitution | Two-step process |
| Number of States Required to Ratify an Amendment | 38 |
| Number of Amendments that Have Not Been Ratified | 6 |
| Number of Amendments that are Still Pending | 4 |
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What You'll Learn
The first 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791
The United States Constitution has had 27 amendments, with the first 10, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified on December 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights was proposed by the First Congress of the United States on September 25, 1789, and it included 12 amendments, of which 10 were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures. The first 10 amendments form the basis of the nation's plan of government and outline a wide range of freedoms and rights.
The first amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government. The second amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms, while the third amendment prohibits the quartering of soldiers in civilian homes without consent. The fourth amendment ensures the right to security of persons, houses, papers, and effects, protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The fifth amendment addresses due process and eminent domain, while the sixth amendment guarantees a speedy trial and the right to a lawyer. The seventh amendment establishes the right to a trial by jury, while the eighth amendment prohibits excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment. The ninth amendment offers protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Constitution, and the tenth amendment clarifies that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states or the people.
These amendments were designed to strike a balance between the need for change and the importance of stability, ensuring that the Constitution could be adapted to meet the evolving needs of the nation while also providing a solid framework for governance. The process of amending the Constitution is outlined in Article Five, which requires that amendments be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. This typically involves a two-step process, with proposals coming from either Congress or a national convention and ratification by a specified number of states.
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Amendments must be proposed and ratified to be added
The process of amending the United States Constitution is detailed in Article Five of the Constitution. This two-step process requires amendments to be proposed and ratified before becoming operative. This process was designed to prevent the government from being too changeable or too inflexible.
An amendment may be proposed in two ways. Firstly, it can be proposed by the U.S. Congress when a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives agree it is necessary. Secondly, a national convention can be called by Congress on the application of two-thirds of state legislatures (34 since 1959). This second option has never been used.
Once an amendment has been proposed, it is sent to the states for ratification. Three-fourths of the states (38 since 1959) must ratify the amendment for it to become part of the Constitution. This can be done by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states or by conventions in the states, as determined by Congress. The Archivist of the United States is responsible for administering the ratification process and issuing a certificate when an amendment becomes operative.
Since the early 20th century, Congress has occasionally stipulated a deadline for ratification, usually within seven years of the amendment's submission to the states. The Supreme Court affirmed Congress's authority to set a ratification deadline in Coleman v. Miller (1939).
In total, there have been 27 amendments to the Constitution, with approximately 11,848 proposals introduced in Congress since 1789. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. The most recent amendment, the 27th Amendment, was ratified in 1992, 203 years after it was first proposed.
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Congress has proposed 11,848 amendments since 1789
Congress has proposed 11,848 amendments to the United States Constitution since 1789. This averages out to around 200 proposals during each two-year term of Congress.
The process of amending the Constitution is detailed in Article Five of the United States Constitution. Amendments must be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. An amendment may be proposed and sent to the states for ratification by the U.S. Congress, when a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives deem it necessary. To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states.
The First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution on September 25, 1789. Ten of these proposed amendments were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights". These first 10 amendments were ratified simultaneously and are the first part of the 27 amendments to the Constitution that have been made so far.
Since 1999, only about 20 proposed amendments have received a vote by either the full House or Senate. The last time a proposal gained the necessary two-thirds support in both the House and the Senate for submission to the states was the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment in 1978.
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The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are the Reconstruction Amendments
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first enacted in 1789. The process of amending the Constitution is outlined in Article Five of the Constitution and requires that amendments be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. Amendments can be proposed by the US Congress or a national convention called by Congress on the application of two-thirds of state legislatures. To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states.
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, also known as the Reconstruction Amendments, were ratified between 1865 and 1870 following the US Civil War. These amendments were written and ratified by the Republican Party, with the Democrats in opposition. The Reconstruction Amendments were essential to reuniting the United States during Reconstruction, and former Confederate states were required to ratify the 13th and 14th Amendments to be readmitted to the Union.
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the entirety of the United States and granted Congress the right to enforce this with appropriate legislation. The 14th Amendment ensured that the Bill of Rights applied to all citizens of the United States, regardless of race, and guaranteed birthright citizenship, due process, and equal protection under the law. The 15th Amendment secured voting rights for Black men, making it illegal to refuse them the right to vote on account of race or previous servitude.
Despite the Reconstruction Amendments, Southern state legislatures created laws to circumvent the rights guaranteed by the Amendments. These included Black Codes, which were designed to keep freedmen from exercising their rights, and Jim Crow laws, which created segregation. Southern legislators also crafted voting restrictions that targeted Black people, such as literacy tests and poll taxes. In the 1960s, the Democratic Party passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 to further embed the emphases of the Reconstruction Amendments in modern law.
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The 18th Amendment banned intoxicating liquors
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was put into operation on March 4, 1789. Approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress since that date (as of January 3, 2019).
The 18th Amendment, passed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified on January 16, 1919, banned the manufacture, transport, and sale of intoxicating liquors in the United States. It was the result of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which argued that banning alcohol would reduce poverty and other societal issues.
The 18th Amendment did not outlaw the consumption of alcohol, but it did make the production, importation, and sale of liquor, wine, and beer illegal. The Volstead Act, passed shortly after the amendment was ratified, provided for federal enforcement of Prohibition. While the 18th Amendment did lead to a decline in alcohol consumption, enforcing it proved challenging, especially in urban areas where most people opposed Prohibition.
The amendment's impact on organised crime was significant. As the production and sale of alcohol went underground, it came under the control of criminal enterprises such as the Mafia, which reaped substantial profits from the illicit liquor trade. Enforcement of Prohibition also led to a rise in prison populations, with prisons becoming so crowded that those arrested for distributing alcohol were often charged with small fines instead of prison time.
By the late 1920s, public sentiment had turned against Prohibition, and the Great Depression further hastened its demise, with opponents arguing that the ban denied jobs to the unemployed and revenue to the government. The 18th Amendment was eventually repealed by the 21st Amendment on December 5, 1933, ending Prohibition and once again permitting the sale of alcohol.
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Frequently asked questions
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution.
The Bill of Rights, ratified on December 15, 1791, contained the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
Since 1789, approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress.
For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 since 1959).
The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are collectively known as the Reconstruction Amendments.
